This November Trucking HR Canada is calling on all fleets to introduce the pint-sized members of their families to the trucking industry.

The organization is working with The Learning Partnership, a group devoted to advancing publicly funded education, and encouraging more fleets to participate in national Take Our Kids to Work Day, November 1.

The event aims to have high school freshmen learn about variety of trucking career options by going to work with a friend or family member.

Last year 60% of Trucking HR Canada’s top fleet employers participated in the program, but the company is looking for even higher numbers this year in an effort to help fill an employment gap in the industry.

A recent study predicts a shortage of 34,000 drivers by 2024.

The least represented age demographic in trucking are the 24- to 34-year olds. The average age of truck drivers is 49 and many of them are retiring.

David Bradley, acting CEO of Trucking HR Canada, hopes to encourage a new generation to consider driving as a satisfying career option.

“Our industry can reverse this trend by showing young people that trucking is a welcoming profession with plenty of possibilities.”